Comparison of track and treadmill exercise tests in saddle horses: a preliminary report

Abstract

— Several exercise test procedures were compared by measuring cardiovascular, meta- bolic and locomotor system variables. Six Anglo-arabians and one French saddle horse were tested on the track and on a high-speed treadmill with different slopes (0, 3.5 and 6.3%). Venous blood lac- tate, heart rate and stride length and frequency were measured at each step of an exercise test con- sisting of a 10-min warm-up period followed by five 3-min steps at increasing speed: 250, 450, 500, 550 and 600 m/min respectively. Current exercise-related parameters which describe aerobic and anaerobic capacity and cardiovascular and locomotor system responses were studied using the rela- tionships between these measurements and velocity. Results were analyzed by a multivariate procedure: discriminant analysis. It was possible to compare the exercise response of horses during these 4 exercise tests by considering all the data obtained. It was concluded that inclining the treadmill at a 3.5% slope minimized the differences of the physiological response between track and treadmill con- ditions; however, locomotion on the treadmill remained different. horses / treadmill / track / discriminant analysis / exercise test Rsum — Comparaison entre les tests d'effort sur piste et sur tapis roulant chez le cheval de selle : une tude prliminaire. Plusieurs types de tests d'aptitude l'effort ont t tudis en analysant les paramtres cardiovasculaires, mtaboliques et locomoteurs. Six chevaux Angloarabes et un Selle franais, entrans pour le concours complet d'quitation, ont t tests successi- vement sur le terrain, puis sur un tapis roulant grande vitesse avec trois inclinaisons diffrentes : 0, 3,5 et 6,3%. La frquence cardiaque, le lactate sanguin, la longueur et la frquence des foules sont mesurs chaque palier d'un test comportant 10 min d'chauffement, puis 5 paliers de 3 min chacun vitesse croissante : 250, 450, 500, 550 et 600 mlmin. Les critres d'effort dcrivant les ca- pacits arobies et anarobies, ainsi que les adaptations cardiovasculaires et locomotrices sont tu- dies en utilisant les relations qui existent entre ces mesures et la vitesse. Les rsultats sont analyss par une analyse factorielle discriminante. Il est ainsi possible de comparer les rponses l'exercice durant les 4 protocoles en considrant toutes les informations obtenues. Il en ressort que l'inclinaison du tapis avec une pente de 3.5% minimise les diffrences nergtiques entre le terrain et le tapis roulant, mais que la locomotion sur le tapis roulant demeure diffrente. cheval l tapis roulant / piste / analyse discriminante / test d'effort